This blog is for the North Canyon High School IB Music students
Monday, April 6, 2009
Dido and Aeneas - part 2
After listening and studying the 3rd, 4th and 5th songs in Dido and Aeneas, discuss two things that you find that identify these pieces as typical Baroque music.
Songs 3, 4, and 5 are a good display of typical Baroque music. As Dido's part enters in the beginning of the third song, simple monodic texture can be heard. The single melodic line changes when song 4 begins. Several voices enter with a dynamic change. This is demonstrative of the Baroque period because it identifies with the complex polyphony of sounds that was seen consistently during that period. Several different voices can be heard, but each has an equally balanced and independent sound. Even as Baroque music progressed, this aspect remained a staple to its sound. The contrapuntal voices add a strong and different feeling to the music that starkly contrasts the earlier monodic texture. The rhythm seems to be inconsistent, as it changes unexpectedly to emphasize certain parts. This, along with monodic texture and counterpoint lines, gives songs 3, 4, and 5 a strong polyphony sound and a diverse sense of emotion. Together it creates a wonderful song that shows off several typical characteristics of Baroque music.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th songs in Dido and Aeneas are, like the rest of the opera, typical of the Baroque Period, but two things that stood out to me that typify the Baroque and are prominent in these three songs are the use of the ornamentation and the subtle dynamic changes. The use of the ornamentation really makes itself clear in Song No. 5. When Dido sings in this, she has many slurs of sixteenth, triplet, and eighth notes, and these occur about every 5 or 6 measures making the ornamentation very clear throughout the song. The subtle dynamic changes of the Baroque Period are also prevalent in Dido and Aeneas such as in Songs No. 3 and No. 4. In Song No. 3, Belinda and Dido switch off singing. They are singing very emotional, thought-provoking lyrics yet they do not vary in volume. Then in song No. 4 the whole chorus comes in which the polyphonic texture and eminent harmony that in any other time would have been big and grand, but since this piece was composed during the Baroque, it remains the same volume as the more serious, slower, monodic section from before.
The third, fourth, and fifth songs of "Dido and Aeneas" all contain elements that make them characteristic of the Baroque Era. First, all three songs are part of the larger opera and the opera was a strong medium of music during the Baroque period. Also, each piece contains a steady rhythm throughout its entirety with little or no variation from the original rhythm. The melody of all three songs is generally flowing and is accented by wide leaps that occur when their is a greater degree of theatrical emotion being expressed by the vocalist as is often seen when Belinda is singing. This emotion is coupled with subtle changes in the dynamics, often the singer gets louder as the notes get higher. The color of the operatic tone remains the same throughout the piece also characterizing its Baroque-ness. Songs 3 and 5 are both monodic in texture as a single vocalist is accompanied by an instrumental part that develops with the vocalist. The choir in song four also develops the polyphony that is a part of the Baroque period. The presence of the basso, harpischord, and chamber ensemble also characterize these pieces as belonging to Baroque.
Songs three, four, and five continue expanding on the Baroque elements of Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas.
The third song, like the first two, is in the key of C minor; the minor chords reflect Dido's plight as she longs for Aeneas to return her love. The dynamic marking of the third song is a mezzopiano, perhaps a mezzoforte at some parts. As suggested by the Baroque style, the dynamic nuances are subtle. A monodic texture is apparent in this song, as the emphasis is placed on Dido and Belinda's solo lines rather than the softer instruments, which play simple rhythmic patterns in the background. The chromatic melody of Belinda and Dido in song three also typifies the Baroque idea of melody; the chromatic tones provide insight into the emotions of the characters, most notably the distraught Dido. The tempo is adagio, until it speeds up as it leads into the fourth song.
The fourth song is again in C minor, but the dynamic marking is a fortissimo. It is almost solely in straight quarter notes, giving a "triumphant" feeling as suggested by the song: "when monarchs unite...they triumph at once." Whereas song three has a monodic texture, the fourth song is heterophonic; the chamber choir sings together to build upon the same melodic line. The tempo is much faster in the fourth song as well.
The fifth song is similar in many ways to the third song. The dynamics are much softer than the fortissimo fourth song; the fifth is generally piano(in some parts mezzopiano, such as at the beginning). There is much focus on the soloists Belinda and Dido, and much less focus is placed on the accompanying instruments. Such techniques create a monodic texture, as seen in the third song. The use of chromaticism in the melodic line of both Belinda and Dido reflects their emotions; this is a prevalent aspect of Baroque melody. Dido sings in a slightly slower tempo than Belinda in this song. Like the previous songs, it ends on a C minor chord.
The prospect of songs 3, 4, and 5 mirroring eachother and traditional Baroque music is amazing. When the songs are compared while listening for the simplistic form and minute details, there are a few traditional techniques used. For example, dynamics are usually subtle or not as varied in baroque music, like having small contrasts between forte and piano. In the fifth song, there is much more of a contrast from dynamics with the crescendos, decrescendos, and the addition of accents (to add to more punctuated style and contribute to the great articulation). There are not many prevalent dynamic contrasts in the 3rd and 4th songs as this displays the clarity in theme and tone.
There is monodic texture in these songs, which is prevalent in the early styles of baroque music. Also, there is the presence of opera style from Belinda. Her voice clearly resonates while singing and displays the style of opera from the baroque era. Even though there are not many instances of chromatic additions in song 5, the major-minor melody really contributes to the texture and the traditional baroque style.
Lastly, there was a lot of emotional appeal to all of these songs, especially the "duet" with Belinda and Dido. The high pitch of Belinda's voice mixed with the accompaniment of "basso" and the harpsichord, it evokes a really strong sense of superiority, strength, and justification of pride.
All three of these songs create the typical "scope" of baroque music by melding the techniques and traditions used during that era.
So no one mentioned the ever important ground bass. Who can tell me what the ground bass is and identify where it appears in the song(s) we covered here?
A ground bass is a bass line that keeps repeating. For example, in "Ah, Belinda," the second song, the bass line repeats itself in a series of four measures for the duration of the song(it is easy to see when looking at the score). I didn't notice it in any other songs so far.
The ground bass consists of a short phrase repeated over and over in the lower voice while the upper voices pursue their independent lines; with each repetition, some aspect of the melody, harmony, and rhythm is changed (Forney & Machlis 153).
As Mosteller stated, the song "Ah Belinda" does contain this ground bass. However, I am not sure to what degree a ground bass extends in length and if any other song has one.
The ground bass is the bass line which repeats itself. Its main purpose is to exemplify a "common" ground of music and a point of repetition while the lines above with the melody can be exaggerated. The ground bass occurs in song number 3 where it has the pattern of Eb, C, and F in measures 7 through 14. With exception to the contrast and change after that repetition, the overall ground bass sound is held through that pattern. By keeping the note/notes constant in the pattern within the music, it lets the melody shine, gives a nice structure to the music, and sets the expectation of repetition.
Yeah Mossie for being the first to respond about the ground bass! Ground bass is so typical of the Baroque period, so be sure to be looking throughout this composition as you will see it in other songs from Dido.
One other thing - it is very important that you watch the score as you listen. Mossie brought up a good point, that once she looked at the score it was easy to identify. You have the score for a reason - so use it as a resource.
12 comments:
Songs 3, 4, and 5 are a good display of typical Baroque music. As Dido's part enters in the beginning of the third song, simple monodic texture can be heard. The single melodic line changes when song 4 begins. Several voices enter with a dynamic change. This is demonstrative of the Baroque period because it identifies with the complex polyphony of sounds that was seen consistently during that period. Several different voices can be heard, but each has an equally balanced and independent sound. Even as Baroque music progressed, this aspect remained a staple to its sound. The contrapuntal voices add a strong and different feeling to the music that starkly contrasts the earlier monodic texture. The rhythm seems to be inconsistent, as it changes unexpectedly to emphasize certain parts. This, along with monodic texture and counterpoint lines, gives songs 3, 4, and 5 a strong polyphony sound and a diverse sense of emotion. Together it creates a wonderful song that shows off several typical characteristics of Baroque music.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th songs in Dido and Aeneas are, like the rest of the opera, typical of the Baroque Period, but two things that stood out to me that typify the Baroque and are prominent in these three songs are the use of the ornamentation and the subtle dynamic changes.
The use of the ornamentation really makes itself clear in Song No. 5. When Dido sings in this, she has many slurs of sixteenth, triplet, and eighth notes, and these occur about every 5 or 6 measures making the ornamentation very clear throughout the song.
The subtle dynamic changes of the Baroque Period are also prevalent in Dido and Aeneas such as in Songs No. 3 and No. 4. In Song No. 3, Belinda and Dido switch off singing. They are singing very emotional, thought-provoking lyrics yet they do not vary in volume. Then in song No. 4 the whole chorus comes in which the polyphonic texture and eminent harmony that in any other time would have been big and grand, but since this piece was composed during the Baroque, it remains the same volume as the more serious, slower, monodic section from before.
The third, fourth, and fifth songs of "Dido and Aeneas" all contain elements that make them characteristic of the Baroque Era. First, all three songs are part of the larger opera and the opera was a strong medium of music during the Baroque period. Also, each piece contains a steady rhythm throughout its entirety with little or no variation from the original rhythm. The melody of all three songs is generally flowing and is accented by wide leaps that occur when their is a greater degree of theatrical emotion being expressed by the vocalist as is often seen when Belinda is singing. This emotion is coupled with subtle changes in the dynamics, often the singer gets louder as the notes get higher. The color of the operatic tone remains the same throughout the piece also characterizing its Baroque-ness. Songs 3 and 5 are both monodic in texture as a single vocalist is accompanied by an instrumental part that develops with the vocalist. The choir in song four also develops the polyphony that is a part of the Baroque period. The presence of the basso, harpischord, and chamber ensemble also characterize these pieces as belonging to Baroque.
Songs three, four, and five continue expanding on the Baroque elements of Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas.
The third song, like the first two, is in the key of C minor; the minor chords reflect Dido's plight as she longs for Aeneas to return her love. The dynamic marking of the third song is a mezzopiano, perhaps a mezzoforte at some parts. As suggested by the Baroque style, the dynamic nuances are subtle. A monodic texture is apparent in this song, as the emphasis is placed on Dido and Belinda's solo lines rather than the softer instruments, which play simple rhythmic patterns in the background. The chromatic melody of Belinda and Dido in song three also typifies the Baroque idea of melody; the chromatic tones provide insight into the emotions of the characters, most notably the distraught Dido. The tempo is adagio, until it speeds up as it leads into the fourth song.
The fourth song is again in C minor, but the dynamic marking is a fortissimo. It is almost solely in straight quarter notes, giving a "triumphant" feeling as suggested by the song: "when monarchs unite...they triumph at once." Whereas song three has a monodic texture, the fourth song is heterophonic; the chamber choir sings together to build upon the same melodic line. The tempo is much faster in the fourth song as well.
The fifth song is similar in many ways to the third song. The dynamics are much softer than the fortissimo fourth song; the fifth is generally piano(in some parts mezzopiano, such as at the beginning). There is much focus on the soloists Belinda and Dido, and much less focus is placed on the accompanying instruments. Such techniques create a monodic texture, as seen in the third song. The use of chromaticism in the melodic line of both Belinda and Dido reflects their emotions; this is a prevalent aspect of Baroque melody. Dido sings in a slightly slower tempo than Belinda in this song. Like the previous songs, it ends on a C minor chord.
The prospect of songs 3, 4, and 5 mirroring eachother and traditional Baroque music is amazing. When the songs are compared while listening for the simplistic form and minute details, there are a few traditional techniques used. For example, dynamics are usually subtle or not as varied in baroque music, like having small contrasts between forte and piano. In the fifth song, there is much more of a contrast from dynamics with the crescendos, decrescendos, and the addition of accents (to add to more punctuated style and contribute to the great articulation). There are not many prevalent dynamic contrasts in the 3rd and 4th songs as this displays the clarity in theme and tone.
There is monodic texture in these songs, which is prevalent in the early styles of baroque music. Also, there is the presence of opera style from Belinda. Her voice clearly resonates while singing and displays the style of opera from the baroque era. Even though there are not many instances of chromatic additions in song 5, the major-minor melody really contributes to the texture and the traditional baroque style.
Lastly, there was a lot of emotional appeal to all of these songs, especially the "duet" with Belinda and Dido. The high pitch of Belinda's voice mixed with the accompaniment of "basso" and the harpsichord, it evokes a really strong sense of superiority, strength, and justification of pride.
All three of these songs create the typical "scope" of baroque music by melding the techniques and traditions used during that era.
So no one mentioned the ever important ground bass. Who can tell me what the ground bass is and identify where it appears in the song(s) we covered here?
A ground bass is a bass line that keeps repeating. For example, in "Ah, Belinda," the second song, the bass line repeats itself in a series of four measures for the duration of the song(it is easy to see when looking at the score). I didn't notice it in any other songs so far.
The ground bass consists of a short phrase repeated over and over in the lower voice while the upper voices pursue their independent lines; with each repetition, some aspect of the melody, harmony, and rhythm is changed (Forney & Machlis 153).
As Mosteller stated, the song "Ah Belinda" does contain this ground bass. However, I am not sure to what degree a ground bass extends in length and if any other song has one.
I agree with Mossie on song number 2.
:)
The ground bass is the bass line which repeats itself. Its main purpose is to exemplify a "common" ground of music and a point of repetition while the lines above with the melody can be exaggerated. The ground bass occurs in song number 3 where it has the pattern of Eb, C, and F in measures 7 through 14. With exception to the contrast and change after that repetition, the overall ground bass sound is held through that pattern. By keeping the note/notes constant in the pattern within the music, it lets the melody shine, gives a nice structure to the music, and sets the expectation of repetition.
Yeah Mossie for being the first to respond about the ground bass! Ground bass is so typical of the Baroque period, so be sure to be looking throughout this composition as you will see it in other songs from Dido.
One other thing - it is very important that you watch the score as you listen. Mossie brought up a good point, that once she looked at the score it was easy to identify. You have the score for a reason - so use it as a resource.
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